How do you sleep?

[ccummins]

Hi all. Home from surgery finally! I will put a thread up in post op shortly. But right now I have one big problem that I am hoping that my fellow VR'rs can help. My back is absolutely killing me! I just can't get into a position that I can sleep (or even sit in) in comfortably. I thought it was just the hospital bed, but it isn't. I am trying to stay on my back mostly. Are you all sleeping on your side shortly aftger surgery (mine was the 16th). Help

 

[halleyg]

Hi all. Home from surgery finally! I will put a thread up in post op shortly. But right now I have one big problem that I am hoping that my fellow VR'rs can help. My back is absolutely killing me! I just can't get into a position that I can sleep (or even sit in) in comfortably. I thought it was just the hospital bed, but it isn't. I am trying to stay on my back mostly. Are you all sleeping on your side shortly aftger surgery (mine was the 16th). Help

Hi Cheryl,
Really good to see you! Glad everything went well. My back also hurt very badly after surgery; my chiropractor actually came down to the hospital a couple of times and gave me adjustments, which really helped. When I was home I remember only sleeping on my back for a very long time, and getting back out to the chiropractor as soon as I could... Are you taking some good pain killers? That is the only thing I can think of that would help. If side sleeping is comfortable for you, then you should do that if it helps you get rest. I'm sure someone else on here probably has some better ideas! Good luck with your recovery!

 

[Ross]

Welcome home Superwoman!

The only thing that is going to help that pain is massages. Get someone to work you over good a couple times a day. If you can manipulate yourself on to your side and use pillows to support you in that position, great. Thing is, if you move ever so slightly, it's painful.

 

[chuckdc37]

My Physical Therapist suggested..

My Physical Therapist suggested..

That I roll up a towel to support my neck better. Boy Howdy did that ever help! It really helped muscle soreness in my neck and my back.
Glad to hear you're done w/ the surgery the rest is hopefully downhill.

 

[Teresa]

Welcome Home! Sleeping on my back was a real challenge for me. As for the continued back pain, I wondered if all the surgical staff took turns kicking my back while I was in the OR!!! I have my DH rub my back at least once a day. A dear friend is a massage therapist and I have seen her a few times for 15 minute massages which really helped. Its worth it! Also, tylenol PM and a heating pad have become my best friends. I am 41 days post-op and I just started to sleep on my side.

 

[Lisa in Katy]

I slept like a cat - short periods of time throughout the day. I was most comfortable in the recliner, with less pressure on any one body part, or on the couch with my head elevated on the arm and a pillow under my neck and shoulders. Night was the one time that I used pain killers after I left the hospital and it was just so I could get a few hours of uninterrupted sleep. The only massage I could have taken would have been a very light chair massage. I couldn't lie on my stomach for about a month.

You are just a few days out. Recovery takes time!

 

[AgilityDog]

1. Recliner. Beds are awful.
2. Massage, maybe a little heating pad time. Your muscles and spine/rib joints have been abused.
3. Pain meds. My DH even brought them to me in the middle of the night 'cause for a few weeks I couldn't sleep/go back to sleep without them--I woke up every time they wore off.
4. cat naps is right.

 

[palmaceae]

I could not sleep in my bed when I got home, and I have a wedge pillow, I kept sliding off of it and could not get back up so I gave up. I went downstairs to my recliner and slept there every night since. Much more comfortable.

 

[Tbone]

Buy a lazyboy with all the specialties. Heat, and massage.

It is usually hard to get a good nights sleep after surgery. You have alot of pressure on bones that have been manipulated out of place. The rest of them have to heal just like the sternum, but it only takes 4-6 weeks.

Don't get me wrong I'm not saying after 6 wweks you will be ok. Whenever you try to lay on your side after the first st 6 months for long it will hurt. I found mine to be a mostly dull pain afterthe first month. Try some tylenol, or speak to your doctor.

I wish you a speedy recovery, and God Bless

 

[bookjp]

Had the same problem with back pain.I even had a massage in ICU on 4th day in hospital.I can sleep on my side no problem but worry about rolling on to my stomach.I sure don't want to bust open my incision again!!Lazyboy seems to work best with small pillow for lower back support. Jim

 

[Marguerite53]

Welcome home!!! Backache or not...there's no place like home. You know that you made it!!!!!!!! Good job!

I don't remember specifically what felt worse for me; mostly just that hit by a train feeling. Being someone who doesn't like a lot of help, I wanted to figure out the best way possible for me to get myself around. My bed is high and I have long legs, so scootching in and out was not terribly problematic. But I know that I sat up in bed for months. I did this by gathering every possible pillow (or send someone to Costco to buy 4!!) and just scrunching and fluffing them all around me. Mostly, I found, that under my forearms really helped. As if I were sitting in a chair. Eventually I moved to the recliner we had bought for my recovery. No bells and whistles, just whatever Lazy-Boy had had on sale. Still, when I was sitting in that, I would have 2 pillows in my lap to kind of keep my arms, well, almost in a sling-like mode, I guess. I did a lot of sleeping. Whenever I felt tired, I went to bed or to the recliner. If that meant I was up in the middle of the night, I just got online to visit my friends here!!

I also really enjoyed the pain pills and figured, why not use them. After awhile, I asked my GP about switching to Extra Strength Arthritis formula Tylenol. That was not enough at first, so I calculated the tylenol amounts, again checked with my GP, and did some kind of Rx and Tylenol mix for a few weeks. That was lovely! I used such a miniscule amount of the Rx that the doctor laughed at me, but there was something about whatever was in that that just gave me that extra comfort.

Quite probably, you will finally find some recipe of comfort that works for you and then suddenly realize you have recovered enough not to even need it anymore!!!

Best wishes to you, and congratulations!

Marguerite

 

[gadoty1]

I tucked a pillow under one side of my back so I was kinda laying at a slant. I would switch the pillow to the other side every couple hours. I can't stand lying on my back and for the first 2-3 weeks I mostly slept in a recliner. When I did try lying on my bed I got stuck and had to scoot my butt off the bed till I basically fell off of it and caught myself with my feet. I didn't get a whole lot of sleep at first just whatever the pain meds knocked me out for. Watched a lot of tv in the middle of those nights. I couldn't be on a regular sleeping schedule at first just slept for a couple hours at a time throughout the day and night.
It'll get better really fast though. Before you know it you'll be feeling better then ever!

 

[WayneGM]

Welcome home. I sept on my back, but propped up with pillows.

 

[halleyg]

After reading through the other replies, I remember that my first surgery I slept on the sofa downstairs for a week, with a whole slew of pillows to help me get comfortable!

 

[Eva]

Welcome home!

I could not sleep on my back... I felt my chest was opening wide up! I put SEVERAL big pillow and slept half sitting up! Later when I restarted to sleep on my side, I tucked a big pillow behind my back to support me sleep at an angle not straight side.

Good luck and I hope these days will pass quickly for you

 

[Snoopy]

Sleeping

Sleeping

Hello,

Randyis sleeping on his back with the hospital bed head angled approximately 30 degrees. He is taking pain meds but not having any back pains.

 

[lilteach3234]

I am 12 days post op and have been home 3 days. I find the bed very challenging, but my husband finally rolled me at a tilt and stuffed pillows behind my back. Sleeping is the only time I am using my Darvocet as it helps relieve pressure and pain and just takes the edge off of things. Hubby tries to roll me every couple of hours or so so I don't get numbness.

I found that my back aches were the worst pain in the hospital. I asked for pain meds for my back and not even the OHS. Those hospital beds are for the birds. I kept sliding down to the foot of the bed and would have to ask for help raising back up.

All I can say IS THIS TOO SHALL PASS!

 

[Nupur]

So glad to hear that sleeping position is your only problem : ) Glad to see you posting. Hope you get good sleep and continue to recover and feel stronger every day.

 

[abbanabba]

It took me about 2 1/2 months before I could sleep without all my pillows and even consider sleeping on my side again. I also had a LOT of back pain (the sternum was fine, but the back - ouch!!).

One of the things I found most helpful to ease the pain was having a pillow under my knees to help take the pressure of my back. I also used pillows to support my sides - and to hug - so I could sleep in a semi-side position (pillows stuffed behind me and between my knees). And then lots of pillows behind me and under my arms to take the pressure of my shoulders. I had a big V-shaped pillow as my main support then used some smaller and flatter ones to fill out the middle to form a kind of "ramp" so my back was fully supported on an angle.

It still wasn't as comfortable as sleeping "normally", but it was pretty good.

I also took my stronger slow-release pain killers at night to aid my sleep. They only prescribed me enough to last a few days after I got home, but after they ran out and I couldn't sleep as well, I spoke to my doc who agreed decent sleep was vital to recovery and she wrote out a script to last me another 10 days or so (at which point I was able to switch across to Nurofen Plus).

I also found a heat pack was a very useful and my BF would massage my back and shoulders to help loosen things up. I would sit backward on a chair since there was no way I could lay on my stomach.

 

[hall]

Welcome home! I was lucky. My back did not bother me. I slept on the couch with about 3 pillows. I did not have any problems. I could not sleep on my side for a long time. That is how I normally sleep. Best of luck to you.